Ice-cutting machinery



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W. S. MOYER.

ICE CUTTING MACHINERY.

No. 325,183. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

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W. S. MOYER.

ICE CUTTING MACHINERY.

No. 325,188. Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM S. MOYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

ICE-CUTTING MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,183, dated August 25, 1885 Application filed October 6, 1884.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM S. MOYER, of

the city and county of Philadelphia, and State My invention has reference to ice-cutting machinery adapted to cutting large surfaces ofice into cakes and it consists in certain improvements, fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accomp \nying drawings, which form part thereof.

The object of my invention is to provide a suitable frame capable of being raised or lowered and driven backward or forward by suitable gearing, which also rotates a circular saw or cutter carried by said frame, to the end that said saw may cut partly or wholly through the ice, as desired, forming long narrow grooves, which separate the cakes. I provide a machine which is capable of being operated wholly by hand-power, compact and durable in construction, and capable of being perfectly controlled by the operator.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved ice-cutting machine. Fig. 2 is aplan view of same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation of same, and Fig. 4 is a skeleton view representing the mechanism by which the machine may be driven forward or backward or adjusted vertically.

A represents the main frame of the machine, which is supported at one end upon rollers or wheels B, secured thereto upon an axle, b, and at the other end by an adjustable frame, 0, provided on its bottom with rollers-or wheels B. These wheels B and B are provided with teeth I), which catch upon the ice and insure the machine being fed horizontally and run true; but, if desired,the said wheels'B may be without teeth b.

E is the circular saw or cutter, and is firmly secured to the shaft E, supported by said frame A, and rapidly rotated through the agency of the gears F, F, F and F shat'tf, and crank j", and one or more of the shafts supporting said gears may be provided with fly-wheels Gr, and to operate said crank the operator stands upon the platforms 6, carried by the frame A, and the upper portion of the saw is protected by a casing, 0, carried by one of said platforms 0. The drive-wheels B and (N0 model.)

their shaft b are rotated forward through the agency of the chain L, which passes about a sprocket-wheel, M, secured to the shaft I), and backward through the agency of the chain P and s1')rocket-wheel P. The chain L- passes around the sprocket-wheel K, loosely supported upon a shaft, H, which is rotated through the agency of said gears G, G, G and G, and receives its motion from the crankshaft f.

K is a double clutch, which is rotated with said shaft H, and may be longitudinally shifted upon its shaft to mesh with teeth upon either of the sprocket-wheels R and I through the agency of a handlever, k.

To rotate the shaft b in the opposite direc tion, the chain P passes over a sprocket-wheel, 0 which is secured upon a shaft, receivin g its motion from shaft H through the agency of gears O and O, the said shafts H and U rotating in opposite directions. The sprocketwheel 0 is loosely supported upon shaft 0, and may be put in or out of motion bya double clutch, B, carried by said shaft 0, and adapted to be shifted longitudinally upon the same to catch with the sprocket-wheel O or I by means of a hand-lever, It.

The frame 0 is provided with a rack, G, into which meshes the main gear D, supported upon a shaft journaled on frame A and secured to sprocket-wheels D and D around which chains J and J p'.1ss,respectively,t0 the sprocket-wheels I and I, hereinbeforc referred to. By throwing the clutch K into contact with the sprocket-wheel I the frame A is caused to mount the frame-(J, as'iudicatcd in Fig. 1, the latter frame being guided in a suitable manner by the former, allowing of vertical adj ustment. If, however, the clutch It be thrown into contact with the sprocket-wheel I, then the frame A is lowered upon the frame 0. By this means the saw may be made to cut any depth desired, and the depth cutmay be varied at will. After raising the frame A to any desired height it may be retained in position by means of pins W, which enter holes W in the frame 0, and upon which pins the frame A rests. The frame 0 is provided with a camsurface, 0 so arranged that when the frame A is fully raised the upper part of the same will strike the end a of the pivoted lever N and cause the same to be moved, which actuates the hand-lever 7c and throws the clutch K out of contact with the sprocket-wheel I, preventing further raising of the frame A, and the cross-piece T of the frame A is adapted to be caught upon the spring-catch T, secured to the frame 0, and thus hold the frame A suspended at the full height which is necessary in conveying the machine from one place to another, and when the saw must not come in contact with anything. After moving to the proper position, the hand-lever R is moved in such a manner as to move the lever S, which rests against it, and throw the clutch R in to contact with the sprocket-wheel I. This action simultaneously rotates the gear D, allowing the frame A to become lowered. and the handlcver S presses upon the pawl S, causing its free end to press the spring-catch T from under the cross-piece T and allow the frame A to slowly descend with the speed commensurate with the rotation of the shaft 0 and as the frame descends the saw E cuts into the ice, and when the proper depth of cut is obtained the lever k may be shifted, to cause the shaft 1) to rotate and drive the machine forward, enabling it to cut the grooves V in the ice. After cutting one groove the pointer or pointers Uenablc the operator to guide the machine to insure a uniform width of cake being cut, as indicated in Fig. 3. After making the incisions V in one direction the machine may be run at right angles to those first made, and the ice so out can be rapidly and uniformly broken into cakes and stored in theice-house.

If desired, the saw may be made to completely cut through the ice. The cam (J may be made adjustable by removable or adjustable pieces 0 which willact sooner upon the end it of the lever N.

While I prefer the construction set forth and illustrated, I do not limit myself to the details, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from my invention.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isv 1. In a machine for cutting ice, a frame carrying a rotary tuiter, in combination with geared hand-power, substantially as set forth, for propelling said frame, a support for one end of the cutter-frame, provided with a rack, and a gear to mesh with said rack carried by the cutterframe, and by which it may be adjusted vertically, the said gear being automatically operated by the motive power of the machine, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In an ice-cutting machine, a frame supported upon the ice, in combination with a rotary'cutter, a support for one end of the cutter-frame, and upon which it is adjustable I .rotating and raising the cutter actuates the rack and gear, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. An ice-cutting machine consisting of a' main frame supported upon wheels and arranged to be moved over the ice, in combination with a rotary cutter carried thereby and a frame upon which the main frame is verticall y adjustable, gearand rack mechanism for adjusting said frames relatively to each other, by which the entire cutting machinery may be raised or lowered, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. In an icecutting machine, the frames A and O, in combination with rack 0, gear D, sprocket-wheels D D chains J J, and suitable devices, substantially as set forth, to put either of said chains into action to rotate said gear in either direction, as desired, to raise or lower the frame A, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of frame A, carrying cutter E, frame G7 having rack 0, gear 1), sprocket-wheels D, D I, I, 0 P, K, and M, shafts H O, clutches K R, wheels B, and suitable gearing to rotate said shafts H and 0 substantially as and for the purpose specified.

6. The combination of frame A, carrying cutter E, frame 0, having rack 0, gear 1), sprocket-wheels D, D, I, I, O, P, K, and M, shafts H 0 clutches K It, wheels B, and suitable gearing to rotate said shafts H and O catch T T, pawl S, levers 1%, k, N, and S, and cam 0 substantially as and for the purpose specified.

7. The combination of frame A and frame 0, adapted for adjustment, supporting-wheels B B, and pins'VV, to support the frames A a given distance from the ground, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony of which invention I hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM S. MOYER.

W'itnesses R. M. HUNTER, ANDREW ZANE, J r. 

